Method of treating and drying material



y 1934- T. ALLSOP METHOD OF TREATING AND DRYING MATERIAL Original FiledApril 2, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l H a-r NFL RN? WITNESSES July 3, 1934. "r.ALLSOP METHOD OF TREATING AND DRYING MATERIAL ori inal Filed April 2.1929 is Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VENTOR: I Wmasfllsqy ATTORNEYS.

July 3, 19-34. T. ALLSOP 1,965,209 S METHOD OF TREATING AND DRYINGMATERIAL Original Filed April 2, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 WITNESSES I N VENTOR:

ym-9% A BY mfl w I TTORNEYS.

Patented July 3, 1934 UNITED STATES METHOD OF TREATING AND DRYINGMATERIAL Thomas Allsop, Philadelphia,

'Pa., assignor to The Philadelphia Drying Machinery Company,

Philadelphia, Pa., vania Original application 852,013. Divided acorporation of Pennsyl- April 2, 1929, Serial No. and this applicationAugust 18, 1931, Serial No. 557,817

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to methods of material treating; forexample, the drying, cooling and conditioning,of various classes ofgoods requiring a certain degree of moisture as a pre requisite tosuccessful manufacture into serviceable articles, or, for shipment andstorage for subsequent use. i

More particularly the present improvements are a. division from myco-pending application filed April 2, 1929, under Serial Number 352,013;and which later matured into U. S. Patent No. 1,841,927, dated January19, 1932 and have reference to methods in which the material treated isgraduallyprogressed through a zone or zones wherein a predeterminedtemperature and sensible degree of moisture, or other somewhat analogousconditions, are maintained.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a novel method forthe above noted purposes, in which the current or currents of treatingmedia generally flows or flow counter-directional'to the course traveledby the material under treatment.

Another object is to effect diversion of the treating current orcurrents in opposing directions, equally distributed, and evenlybalanced during sinuous circulation and re-circulation over separatecourses in sequential stages of differing or graduated specific eflect.

A further object is the provision of a novel method for drying, cooling,and conditioning certain classes of material, such as worsteds, woolens,cottons, silks and.- rayons in skeins.

Having thus set forth a brief statement of the invention involved, I inorder to make the same more clear, refer to the accompanying sheets ofdrawings illustrative of a convenient means for carrying out my novelmethod of treating materials, and in which like characters of referencerefer to co responding parts in all the views.

Inthese dra. gs:-

Fig. I is a broken top .plan view of an organization or machine moreparticularly serviceable for the treatment of materials inskeinformation.

Fig. II is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. III is a transverse section, taken substantially as indicated bythe arrows m-m in Fig. I, and ,on a relatively larger scale for the sakeof clearness.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary part-sectional and part-plan. view,illustrating certain structure to better advantage.

Fig. V is a similar elevational illustration with portions of theleft-hand half thereof broken away, to better disclose certain otherwiseobscured structure; and,

Fig. VI is a sectional plan view, taken on the plane indicated by thearrows VI-VI in Fig. III. The organization or equipment illustrated, byway of example as adapted to my novel method,

comprises aligned sections comprehensively desighated 1, 2 and 3; thatindicated as 1 serving for drying purposes, 2 constituting a coolingchamber, and 3 being assigned to moisture regain or "conditioning. Themachine shown consists of a skeleton framework of standard sections 4that support thermo-insulated walls 5, which are connected together'inaccordance with known practice.

As best appreciated from Fig. III, the drying section 1 islongitudinally subdivided-from end to end-by vertical partitions 6,except as hereinafter explained, to set apart a central heater chamber 7with parallel flanking drier compartments 8, through which the materialunder treatment is progressed by veyors 9.

The top or roof 10 of the machine is mainly fiat excepting the provisionof an aligned-sequence of medially-located peaks 11, over the heaterchamber v7. Each peak 11 comprises parallel, longitudinally-directed,vertical walls 12, reversely sloping roof portions 13, the pitch ofwhich is equal on each side of a comparatively-narrow horizontal ridge14. The several peaks 11 are uniformly spaced and separated by gutters15 afforded by intervals of the flat roof 10, while said gutters arepreferably of a dimension and configuration closely approximating thatof the fiat ridges 14.

means or endless con- 7 Each peak 11 is interiorly subdivided by acentral vertical partition 16 which extends from the transverse medianof the ridge 14, downwardly to a sub-roof 17, co-extensive with theheater chamber 7; while vertical end partitions 18, centrally below thegutters 15, intervene the flat roof lO and sub-roof 17. These partitions18 extend from side to side entirely across the machine below the flatroof 10, thereby dividing the flanking portions thereof, over the driercompartments 8, into a succession up, r g m The median partitions 16 areeach apertured and have a suitable housing 19 for reception of avertically rotative fan 20. On the suction side of the respective fans20, each peak 11 is provided with longitudinally-directed side Walls 21intervening the flat roof 10 and the sub-roof 1'7; whereas said sub-roofis formed intermediate the fan partition 16 and the end wall 18, on thesame side thereof, with a comparatively large of inverted pockets drespect to the drier opening 22, as best shown in Fig. VI. 0n the otherhand, on the delivery side of each fan 20, the vertical side walls 21are omitted, thereby providing opposed rectangular openings 23, foregress of the treating medium into the pockets "p, and circulationthrough the drier compartments 8.

Intervening the flat roof 10 and sub-roof 17 on the delivery side ofeach fan 20, is a deflector 24, which serves to evenly divide the flowof treating medium discharging from said fan for distribution, by way of.the opposed openings 23, into the pockets 11" and circulation throughthe respective drier compartments 8. This de- Hector 24 is a sheet metalstructure of somewhat semi-fru'sto-pyramidal aspect; or, has an inclinededge 25-, in register with the longitudinal center of the peak 11, andright and left-hand, sweeps or valleys 26 that converge outwardly towardthe associated openings 23. The apex or high-point of the inclined edge25, is located a distance in advance of the proximate vertical end wall18, below the roof 10; while the low or, vanishingpoin 2'7 of eachvalley 26, conveniently merges into the juncture of the sub-roof 1'1with the end wall aforesaid, at a distance from the companion opening23. r

The heater chamber '7 is subdivided longitudinally by a skeletonstructure of spaced verticals 28 and attached paneling 29, to providewalkways 30 extending uninterruptedly through the entire dryingsection 1. The paneling 29 extends from the top edge of the walk-ways 30or sub-roof 1'7, to a level somewhat below the transverse supports 31for heater coils 32. Hinged sections 33 shut-off the lower portions ofthe walk-ways 30 and thereby compel all the circulating air to flowupwardly (or downwardly) through the heater coils 32, as conventionallyindicated by the arrows on Fig. .111, as well as effectively preventingshort circuiting of air over the conveyors 9. I

Temperature regulators 34 are located at predetermined intervals alongthe heater coils 32 so that graduated degrees of heat may beautomatically maintained throughout the drier section 1, whereby thematerial treated need not be initially subjected to a maximum dryingatmos-,

phere, but that the transition may be progressively conducted, and viceversa.

Exhaust of the vitiated atmosphere from the drying section 1 is effectedby way of outlet openings 35 in the lower region thereof, said openingscommunicating into vertical trunks 36 having laterally elbowed ends 37,and exhauster fans 38. The fan 20 at the feed end of the machine, aswell as the associated deflector 24 are directionally reversed, relativeto the rest of the series in the drying section 1, so as to effectivelyprevent "outflow" of vitiated atmosphere thereat, or otherwise than byway of the trunks 36.

With the several fans 20 located on the longitudinal center line of themachine, immediately over the heater coil battery or batteries 32, therespective currents of air circulating in the machine are equallydistributed and balanced with compartments 8, as they are directedagainst the several deflectors 24; while slatting 39 immediately belowthe pockets 9", or above the forward run of the top conveyor 9, with acorresponding slatting 40 proximately beneath the return run of thelower conveyor 9, further aids such equal distribution of the treatingatmosphere.

After the material transported bythe endless on m ss, as

conveyors 9 emerges from the drying section 1, it enters the coolingchamber 2, which is devoid of any heater coils 32, while it is separatedfrom the heater chamber '7, and conditioning section 3, by verticalpartitions 41, 42, respectively, that extend from the roof 10 to thefloor 'level. The former partition 41, is cut out at 43 below the levelof the return runs of the lower conveyors 9, in registry with the heaterchamber '7, so that a proportionately smallquantity of fresh atmosphericair is continuously supplied to the drying section 1. The coolingchamber 2, is also furnished with a peak 11a. conforming insubstantially all respects to the peaks ll, hereinbefore described,excepting that there is no opening 22 in the sub-roof 1'7, so thatre-circulation in said chamber is prevented. 0n the other hand,atmospheric air is admitted by way of an inlet 44, of appropriate sizein the sloping roof-section 13 on the suction side of the fan 20'; whileopposed out-,- lets 45 in the side walls of the cboling chamber 2, belowthe level of the return runsof the bottom conveyors 9, take care of theexhaus Provision is thus afforded whereby an adequate supp y of freshatmospheric air continuously circulates, through the cooling chamber 2;while a minor portion thereof is constantly diverted by way of thepartition opening 43 to replace the vitiated air exhausted from thedrying section 1. Corresponding reference characters are applied to all105 other parts of the cooling chamber 2, which conform to thosepreviously explained in connection with the drying section 1, in orderto avoid repetitive description;

The moisture regain or conditioning section 110 3, conforms in all majorstructural aspects with that of the drying section 1, andincludes aheater chamber 7b, that also comprises means for diffusing moisture intothe circulating air. The moisture diffusing means conveniently consistsof 5 a tank 46, suitably supported outside the conditioning section 3and connected to the spray pipes 4'1, said tank being supplied withwater by way of a service connection 43, while a plurality of sprayheads 49'have the nozzles thereof inwardly 1 directed, so that all themoisture emitted is thoroughly vaporized and the circulating atmospherehighly saturated, hile no water comes in direct contact with thematerial treated. This highly saturated atmosphere through and about thepassing material by means of fans 20, in the peaks 11b of theconditioning sec-' tion 3. These fans 20 are arranged for opposed orinward action, as conventionally indicated by the arrows 50 on Fig. I;while the associated deflectors 24 in the peaks 11b divergentlyfunction. Thus a constant finward" circulation of highly saturatedatmosphere takes place from both ends, of the heater portion "lb, of theconditioning section 3, with a simultaneous divergent flow of the sameinto the flanking compartments 8b, through which the material treated isadvancing to the delivery end of the machine. At the same time theconditioning section 3 is to all practical intent isolated from thecooling chamber 2 except for 0 supply of air therefrom by way of theconveyor. well as eifectively safe-guarded the humidified air at againstwasteful escape of valve controlling the supply of steamto the heatercoils 32 is designated 51, with a combined temperature and humiditycontrol ditically indicated at 52, the same serving to maintainpredetermined or desired conditions in the conditioner 3; while similarvalves 51 in connection with 151 is divided and circulated 5dryingsection 1, serve and over appropriate tracks 54, supported by theframework sections 4, having guards 55 of rustless non-corrosive sheetmetal, whereby the material treated is safe-guarded against damageduring transit through the machine.

Simultaneous uniform progression of the conveyors 9 is brought about bymeans'of. suitable co-ordinators 56, at the delivery end of the machinefor example, inturn operated by appropriate drive connections 57 to avariable speed control mechanism. 58. 59 is a clutch lever controllingstopping and starting of either conveyor 9.

The variable speed control mechanism 58 in turn is coupled by a suitabledrive 60 to a continuous shaft 61, joumaled in bearings 62 mounted onthe roof 10 of the machine, and disposed along the longitudinal centerline of the machine and supports all of the several fans 20; while it ismade up in sections attached together by couplings 63, and provided witha drive 64 for operative connection to any suitable source of power.Heating medium, such as steam is supplied to the respective heater coils32, 17 from a main 67.

Assuming the desired temperature or temperatures for the drying section1, as well as the temperature and humidity degree in the conditioningsection 3, have been set by the respective regulators 34 and 52; it willbe readily appreciated that uniform results are assured at all timesregardless of conditions prevailing exteriorly of the machine.Furthermore, it is to be noted that the moisture content of theconditioning atmosphere as well as the respective temperatures in thevarious sections 1 and 3, of the machine are all under positiveautomatic control.

Power being applied to the shaft 61, it will be readily seen that therespective fans 20.are uni-- formly rotated, while the several conveyors9 are correspondingly progressed at the desired speed under control ofthe variable speedmechanism 58. Material, such as the hanks or skeins65, on poles 66, for treatment is supplied to the feed end of thesection 1, in any conventional manner, and gradually passed throughsaid' section by the conveyors 9. During progress through the section 1,the skeins 65 traverse a series of uniformly-maintaineddrying-atmosphere circulat ing and re-circulating thereabout, within therespective compartmental sections 8 under action of the fans 20, wherebysaid skeins are effectively freed of all contained moisture, beforeentry into the cooling chamber 2 in a hot condition. Inci dent topositive governance of the travel of the conveyors 9, by the speedcontrol mechanism 58, the skeins 65 emerging from the drying section 1,are properly cooled by fresh atmospheric air in thechamber 2, andthereby reduced to the requisite temperature for proper regain of theessential or normal amount of moisture. This moisture regain is quicklyand uniformly obtained in the section 3, whereupon the skeins 65 aredischarged at the delivery end of the machine, with the proper moisturecontent and .feel brought about by the uniform drying, cooling andconditioning, sequentially eifected in the manner described.

From the foregoing it is thought the advantages of my invention will bewell understood, but it is to be particularly noted that the generalprinciple of circulating and re-circulating the treating media, may beemployed in a single unit or section allocated to'any one of theindividual opera-- tions set forth. 'For instance, in the treatment ofcertain classes of materials, the drying operation may be entirelydispensed with, thereby obviating the necessity for section 1, and theprocess restricted to cooling and conditioning only, as eflfected insections 2 and 3. Again, in the finishing of cotton fabrics, silk,linen, paper, etc., a calender may be arranged to operate in tandem withthe apparatus, and such materials delivered thereto having the rightamount of moisture content to ensure the best calendered results.

In conclusion, it will be readily understood, that my invention beingadapted to various uses, hence I do not wish to be limited by thespecific disclosure, but consider myself at liberty to make suchvariations therein, as are circumscribed by reasonable interpretationaccorded the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The method of treating suspended materials 110 which consists inprogressing the same through a generally counter-directed longitudinalmain flow of heated fresh air, dividing and diverting said flowlaterally into equally-distributed and evenly balancedopposedly-circulating and re- 115 circulating sequential stages, andthereafter proguessing the materials through a correspondinglyabout thematerials.

THOMAS ALLSOP;

